Malawi is one of the countries most affected by HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Around 9% of the adult population is infected, with women and young girls disproportionately affected.  The epidemic has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of parents and caregivers in the last decade and left an estimated 500,000 children orphaned. Malawi is also one of the poorest countries in the world; over 70% of the population live in multi-dimensional poverty.

For families affected by AIDS, it is particularly difficult to support their children. Many girls are married early; school attendance is extremely low; younger children are critically affected – due to a lack of nutrition, almost half of all children under five are short for their age, 20% severely stunted. 

Early Childhood Development Centres will be supported to establish small-scale farms to produce free, nourishing meals for the children in their care. Catering and sanitary facilities will be renovated, and staff will receive training on early years care and development. 

Families will be supported to increase their incomes and provide them with increased financial security through financial training and introduction to Village Savings and Loans schemes (VSL), where they can pool income, access credit for the first time and pursue new business opportunities.

Families are also provided with seeds and livestock, which improve the household’s nutrition, and the livestock’s offspring are passed to other households, multiplying the impact across the community. F4A also trains households in growing and preparing food, promoting a more nutritious, varied diet, which is particularly important for young children and those infected with HIV.